I'm Not Sure If The Pod Hd Is Right For Me

Hi. I've been using a POD 2.0 (desktop) since probably 2005 or 2006. It's been really handy and great for practicing and home recording but I wanted to upgrade since it's so old and I've worn through all its sounds. I've been thinking about upgrading to the HD desktop but wasn't certain.

I'd be using it entirely for home recording and practicing, not live. I have about 15 years of experience as a musician and 10 years as a recordist, so I'm pretty confident in getting the sounds I want, since I have a fairly solid understanding of signal flow, EQ, compression, etc.

I'm a little dubious because this version doesn't allow dry recording through the USB like the X3 did (why doesn't it?), and allegedly the processing power craps out pretty quickly, especially when using dual amps. I think it's a little misleading to boast the dual amp feature and all the available effects when you can't take advantage of them fully. So these things have given me a little doubt.

Also it's been a while since the HD came out, right? What if they come out with some new stuff suddenly and I can't upgrade because they pull their support, like Apple and Google often do?

Also, no bass amps?

Also, are the effects really any good?

Also, I hear about a lot of glitches.

Basically, what can I expect really? Am I upgrading horizontally, as it were? I'm worried the unit makes a lot of promises it doesn't keep.

I have heard good things about, namely that the HD modeling is an improvement over the earlier modeling, and that the clean sounds are very good. Most of the reports I've heard are from people who love high gain metal sounds, so it's just been a little tough to gauge if it's right for me since I don't chugga-chugga much these days.

My experience with the 2.0 has prepared me pretty well, I think. I don't expect to just plug in and get amazing sounds; the stock patches on the 2.0 were awful as well, but I was able to sculpt some great sounds. I'm not afraid to sit down and work with it to get the kinds of sounds I like.

I'd be getting the desktop bean, not the HD500 floor pedal thing. I dunno if that matters.

I was reading the other threads here and it sounds like Line 6 might be releasing some new stuff at NAMM this summer. Maybe it's best if I wait for new announcements. I might be able to get the HD Desktop for cheaper that way. What do you guys think?

I agree with the original post. The HD is a step backwards in a lot of ways despite some awesome sounding and better modeled amps, albeit only a handful that are available. The effects are the same as the M13, so why not at the very least include all the SD amp versions that were left out of the XTL/X3?

If I used POD Farm in the studio and wanted to take those sounds with me on the road with the HD...no can do, not compatible. So I'm forced to hang on to two pedalboards right now...the XT and the HD500 because the HD simply can't hang by itself? Thats ridiculous. We bag on the purist because they collect countless pedals, cabs and amps...and here I am starting a collection of pedalboards by the same company because they can't figure out (or didn't have the foresight) to be backwards compatible? Microsoft Office has been backwards compatible for decades and they are still improving/adding features...it should be the same with Line 6. Xbox, Sony...heck even Atari was backwards compatible with its new platforms...its software running on hardware, updated by a patch or firmware. No ones even asking for the new models to run on the old platform, but come on...the old models should damn well be able run on the new platform, it's an algorithm....just like the M13 effects that they choose to keep. It can be done.

Some people have chosen to simply not spend the money on the HD because so many features are missing, lost or not available. If it weren't for me finding a store going out of business and getting a ridiculous deal on the HD500 I wouldn't have it right now, because I did try it a year earlier and took it back for those exact reasons. A handful of better modeled amps along side of the M13 effects is not a big enough selling point for many folks to switch. There could be much more added value there...and Line 6, whether they admit it or not...they abandoned many of its users (ie potential repeat business customers) by disregarding the importance of compatibility across the board. This has become even more important in our current economical environment. Folks are going to be much more critical as to what they are getting and giving up before shelling out cash.

This shouldn't even be a discussion. Get the HD and be prepared to spend time learning how to use it. Like hurghanico posted "It's not a toy for children, it's a serious tool to build your tones". At first I went crazy trying to understand how to get the tones I wanted, but once the light bulb went on I couldn't be happier.

You're getting 100 effects, over 22 amps, and a bunch of mics and cabs that you can route and configure any way you want. Then on top of that it can be inserted multiple diffreant ways into whatever amp(s) you're using. Yeah it takes a while to get it sounding right. Yeah they'res a quirk or two like Input1 and 2 being set to differant things and the EQ interface that kind'a sucks. But there's a lot of helpful people on this forum to get you through that.

what some people doesn't realize is that the HD series is a totally different class quality compared to the previous modelers
the new quality HD models need much more memory and dsp/cpu resources than the older ones

This makes no sense...the DSP/CPU can handle the bigger more in-depth algorithms of the HD models, but some how can no longer keep up with processing the smaller/less in-depth ones of the past. This is exactly what I'm pointing out...we've upgraded from a Intel 2 core to 4 core, but can't run the old modeling equations because the processor is too fast??

hardware memory and powerful cpu cost money
so for the price you pay for the HD you get some of the best models avaible but not as much models as with the previous modelers..

Memory may cost money, but these algorithms are not that big (the older ones especially) and if the old CPU was capable of running the older amp models, the new one surely can too.

if you need more you should pay more and you could buy an axe-fx or a kemper, which have about the same sound quality but offer much more models.. all this seems quite logic to me.. if the best quality is not so important for you and you prefer the quantity, you can still use the XT

With the AXE-FX II you're not just paying for more....you're paying for more HD models. I'm not asking for 56 more HD models, just that they include the ones that they haven't upgraded yet...that R&D has already been done, it costs them nothing to include in the unit.

PS. putting together HD models and SD models as you call them in the same device IMO would give as result a weird hybrid thing and personally I wouldn't like it at all, I prefer much more to get just a few top quality things for the money I pay for

from what I know none of the previous Line6 modelers has ever been backward compatible, so no disappointed expectation in this regard

The X3 had all the same amps as the XT...albeit you couldn't just import the your patches. It might only be weird had you never owned the previous gear and were starting from scratch. For the rest of us 2/3rds of the amps are gone and we've been told to 'shut up and deal with it'. That's not going to win back customers.

I get it...folks either just joined the Line 6 club and started from scratch and therefore don't get it or they were one of the lucky ones who was already using one of the amp models that received an HD upgrade. If so, they will never know how frustrating it is to try to model an amp which has specific characteristics to it. How many people asked for the Soldano? Where is the JCM 2000...where is the 5150?! Give us the old ones then...because right now we have nothing. It could all have been avoided if the engineers had built the HD with backwards compatibility in mind.

i wonder what the percentage of hd user, who are satisfied with the performance of the hd, to the users who are disappointed with the performance of the hd.

You would have to go deeper than that and determine if they were upgrading from previous Line 6 gear or something else, or first timer. How about those that never made the switch or went with BOSS or something else...or those that just kept their old gear waiting for something better...that'll never be captured because none of them are on this forum. The sales figures might be a bit telling compared to previous models, but too many variables.

This shouldn't even be a discussion. Get the HD and be prepared to spend time learning how to use it. Like hurghanico posted "It's not a toy for children, it's a serious tool to build your tones". At first I went crazy trying to understand how to get the tones I wanted, but once the light bulb went on I couldn't be happier.

You're getting 100 effects, over 22 amps, and a bunch of mics and cabs that you can route and configure any way you want. Then on top of that it can be inserted multiple diffreant ways into whatever amp(s) you're using. Yeah it takes a while to get it sounding right. Yeah they'res a quirk or two like Input1 and 2 being set to differant things and the EQ interface that kind'a sucks. But there's a lot of helpful people on this forum to get you through that.

Typical response 'shut up and color'. Learn how to use it, really? I'm not a noob, I've been using Line 6 stuff for years now, the learning curve is behind me. My point is that it would not have been that hard to include the amps they abadoned, that use much less processing power, along side the HD ones that they upgraded. The JCM800 doesn't do it for me...sorry, its a bridge too far for the sound I'm looking for, even despite all the good mics, cabs, compression. Perhaps its the crappy EQ choices that are hindering me in the HD, but its frustrating when I could get a sound I liked with an 'inferior' piece of hardware made by the same company.

You would have to go deeper than that and determine if they were upgrading from previous Line 6 gear or something else, or first timer. How about those that never made the switch or went with BOSS or something else...or those that just kept their old gear waiting for something better...that'll never be captured because none of them are on this forum. The sales figures might be a bit telling compared to previous models, but too many variables.

Appreciate the discussion. I've spent literally 15-16 hours collectively trying to dial in this lead tone from my XTL. Just one tone...that's excessive, frustrating and exhaustive. I spent another 5 hours straight yesterday and I am perhaps the closest I've ever been...not quite enough for me to switch, but I'm more hopeful and really want to move on with it.

I continue this struggle because I want to like the HD, unfortuneately there is likely a new product coming out around the corner and Line 6 won't make it easy for folks upgrading.

I have an HD500 and for the most part is exactly what I need...you get an all-in-one device with way more that you will ever need in terms of tones, effects and routing options.

To me the only real weak point are the models; don't get me wrong, they work great and they're more than usable especially in a band context, but I find that there are some strange things happening in the frequency spectrum and feel response...for example, I like the Fireball amp and I dialed some usable tones with it but - no matter what I try - there's always some strange response in the upper frequency range that makes the tone sound and feel a bit "unnatural" (I'm talking about high gain here).

I'm not an expert by any means, so this could probably be my fault, but I have some experience with tone shaping (for years and years I used analog gear, mostly "boutique", and software sims too) and I tried to tweak all the parameters of the unit for months but still I'm not 100% satisfied with my "core" tone.

Besides, I think it's pretty difficult to tweak the patches on the fly (and that's something you really need to do when you're in a band context playing different venues), because there are so many variables that can mess up with your tone. I think that what most of us really need is a solid core tone that sounds good and it's easy to tweak on the fly, which is exactly what you get with a real amp that you like: you plug in, find your tone and then you tweak the knobs when you need to (stage, rehearsals etc.), but the basic sound texture and response stays the same.

With the POD, when you start tweaking parameters, you can end up in a completely different ballpark because of all the variables, and that's something counterproductive in my opinion, especially when you need to adjust things quickly. Apart from this, the HD500 is an AMAZING unit considering all the fx and the routing options.

I think that what most of us really need is a solid core tone that sounds good and it's easy to tweak on the fly, which is exactly what you get with a real amp that you like: you plug in, find your tone and then you tweak the knobs when you need to (stage, rehearsals etc.), but the basic sound texture and response stays the same.

With the POD, when you start tweaking parameters, you can end up in a completely different ballpark because of all the variables, and that's something counterproductive in my opinion, especially when you need to adjust things quickly. Apart from this, the HD500 is an AMAZING unit considering all the fx and the routing options.

That's why, for live use, I want to use my amps, because they sound great and are simple. My aim is for home recording, where I have the time and patience to dial in the right sound. So for my uses, a POD is pretty ideal.

That's why, for live use, I want to use my amps, because they sound great and are simple. My aim is for home recording, where I have the time and patience to dial in the right sound. So for my uses, a POD is pretty ideal.

absolutely, it's a great tool to have...for home recording only, I'd go with the PRO instead of the 300/400/500 and I'd also look at the Eleven Rack; never tried one in person, but I heard a lot of good things about it considering the price range (especially amps sims, for fx POD seems way more powerful). For recording purposes I usually use software sims (even free ones) with external IRs, but to save CPU these units are great.

Agree, amps are a lot simpler on stage, but they can also be a p.i.t.a., especially in small venues; I think that running everything directly through the PA gives a much more consistent tone in a band context...less stage volume, easier to work with for (good) sound engineers. I have a Diezel VH4 that I love to death, but for live purposes I switched to the digital world (software sims + computer at first, POD now) a long time ago and I've never looked back. Just my 2 cents

I'm going to say I love my hd500 I also have a gt100 it also sounds good but the hd just sounds alive to me. The gt100 outa the box is more user friendly. There both good but the hd500 just sounds better.
I thought about making a video of both but idk lol

Outa the box "with minor tweaking" gt100 wins...

But if you want a knock out killer tone "with deep editing" the Hd500 hands down.

Appreciate the discussion. I've spent literally 15-16 hours collectively trying to dial in this lead tone from my XTL. Just one tone...that's excessive, frustrating and exhaustive. I spent another 5 hours straight yesterday and I am perhaps the closest I've ever been...not quite enough for me to switch, but I'm more hopeful and really want to move on with it.

I continue this struggle because I want to like the HD, unfortuneately there is likely a new product coming out around the corner and Line 6 won't make it easy for folks upgrading.

WHat I have done and do is I search CUSTOMTONE.COM for tones that I like and I tweak them from there. Some are real close, some are way off or just awful. It is a great starting point. WIth the EDITOR program and being able to tweak the signal chain...it is way easier than the old days of the XT-Live.....keep with it and post your patches and let us know so we can try them out and maybe give our feedback.

Never had another Line 6 unit but I had a Korg multieffect pedal years ago so I knew I'd have to invent, edit and tweak. I didn't know I'd have to learn about the Fletcher-Munson Curve and the effects of playing with a band on EQ and distortion settings vs. living room settings.
But now several weeks into my HD500 journey I'm more excited than ever about playing. Suddenly I find I like a Univibe, and instead of sticking with Fenders, Mesas and Marshalls, I'm finding uses for some of the more exotic amps like Bogner.
I'm creating tones from scratch rather than tweaking Custom Tones, and having a ball doing it. Put me down in the "satisfied customer" camp, and I'm not sorry that I bought now instead of waiting for the next gen.

WHat I have done and do is I search CUSTOMTONE.COM for tones that I like and I tweak them from there. Some are real close, some are way off or just awful. It is a great starting point. WIth the EDITOR program and being able to tweak the signal chain...it is way easier than the old days of the XT-Live.....keep with it and post your patches and let us know so we can try them out and maybe give our feedback.

Appreciate the offer...problem is that I'm trying to match a tone that I already have in XTL, not start over and tweak someone else’s to be content with. I'm as close as I'll ever be right now and it is useable, but the timber/tone isn't exact...sounds a tad harsh and lacking sustain and warmth.

It doesn't help that my XTL patch uses just about everything that was left out of the HD...Brit 2000 #2 amp, Greenback 20's cab, 4-band semi-parametric EQ, Sine Chorus and Slap Plate Reverb.

Even the FX that did transfer to the HD have changed enough that it could be affecting the sound. For instance, the HD Tube Screamer now has bass/tone/treble vs just tone...do I set the Bass/Treble to 50% or 100% to mirror the old Tube Screamer? Also the closest HD Chorus I found is the Analog Chorus that has just tone vs individual bass/treble parameters from the XTL. It all adds up collectively, however I believe the missing amp, cab and EQ have much more to do with obtaining the sound than do these parameters.

It surely doesn't help parameter labels are mis-matched (like Pre-delay for the Reverb was in % for XTL...now in MS which makes more sense, but what does 100% Pre-delay equate to in the HD...200ms? Where's the translator guide for previous users?

The XTL compressor came in sequence after the amp and was supposedly modeled after a tube compressor which is included in the HD, but it doesn't appear to have the same characteristics. Here again, the.XTL compressor was in dB which makes sense...but now it's in percent (a step backwards). -4dB Threshold and +10dB Gain is what I had in XTL. What is that now in % for the HD...4% Threshold and 10% Level ? I really don't think so.

Doesn't sound close any way I tweak these parameters anyway, so it doesn't matter much either way...but as you can see there are far too many things that are missing or doesn't line up correctly for me to have a legit shot at fine tuning...the lack of the amp, cab and parametric EQ are again the biggest things keeping me from obtaining the tone.

So I got a good deal on an HD Desktop. I've been busy all weekend so I've only put maybe 2 hours in it but so far I am really glad I got this thing. It is, in fact, right for me. I was going to record some A/B comparison of the 2.0 and the HD but I don't even need to, it's so obviously better sounding. I'm really looking forward to recording this thing. Screw the limitations, the things it's capable of are worth it.

I had a POD XT that I kept in my shortboard bag as an all-in-one backup rig...I only ever had to use on a gig once when my SV MK! blew a tube during a show. It worked, but I really hated the way the XT felt going thru a PA...tone was fine, just feels wrong...HD Desktop is my main preamp now...I have an SV MK1, MK2, DT50 and DT25...I still have my old Flextone III XL....Dual Amps is a novelty on the HD pod...If you really need dual tone, then 2x HD Pro is really the way to go...What has impressed more than anything is that even direct WITHOUT a tube poweramp, the feel of the HD is lightyears ahead of anything they did before...tone has always been good, it has been the dynamics that have been missing until they partnered up with RB...These models and FX have movement that was never in anything they did previously...Anyway, it takes a little bit to get under tweaking the unit, but it works great for me. XT feels like a toy to me now...

I picked up a POD X3 when they came out what seems like a hundred years ago. It was a great little device. I spent a lot of time tweaking and shaping my sounds. It was a great device...I loved it, it was really user friendly.. Then I demo'd the HD500 and did a lot of research before settling on the HD Pro.

I knew that when I got it I would have to tweak it to my liking, although I underestimated the level I would need to go to. These are not twiddle a knob and suddenly Jimi. So I read and tweaked...and tweaked...and tweaked...

This box has a great potential to give up a great tone...it takes time to get there, but when you do...man. I do not regret my decision one bit.

After about 6 months I took her out and played live. I DI'ed into the board and it sounded great.

I would say that the HD500/and HD pro are not for the casual user. While there are some limitations, you will be able to create a wide range of effects from this box.